The head of the Burkinabé junta, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, was sworn in in to the presidency on Wednesday, less than a month after mutinies soldiers took control of West African country in a shot.
The inauguration ceremony, not open to general public, was held at the Constitutional Court. speaking to the nation on state television after being sworn in, Damiba paid tribute to the security forces and the country population who he said he was facing the threats of extremism for more than six year.
“I swear in of face of the people of Burkina Faso and on my honor, to preserve and respect, to uphold and defend the constitution, the fundamental acts and the law, to do everything to guarantee justice for all the inhabitants of Burkina Faso,” he said. “Our country has always been strong during storms. That’s why these tough times must be for us an opportunity to access better horizons.
Damiba seized power pledging to protect the war-torn country from growing extremist violence linked to al-Qaeda and Daesh terror groups that have killed thousands and displaced more more than 1.5 million people. Since its takeover, Damiba has met with security forces, civil society, diplomats and politicians, but has not set a timeline for the transition to elections, something that international community said must be done as soon like possible.
When military diets take power the return to democracy, to civil rule can be long and uncertain, say conflict experts.
“Military regimes will often delay the transition back civil rule and go work keep a certain shape of political influence in the background in to ensure that their interests are maintained,” said Alexandre Raymakers, senior Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, a risk Advice.
“Given the deterioration of the security situation in Burkina Faso, the new military LEDs government will probably say that the security situation will not be allow for the holding of an electoral process globalthus delaying the return to civilian life rule,” he said.
Even though Damiba was very popular support since taking over some locals say they don’t support of the Constitutional Council decision to let him assume the presidency because he was not democratically elected. “We understand nothing at all, how things can go like this? The Constitutional Council invests the presidents who forthcoming power by the elections… It is like they say it’s legal to make a coup in Burkina Faso”, Oumar Cissé a resident in that of the sahel hard-hit The city of Dori told The Associated Press (AP) by phone.
A European diplomat who was not allowed to speak to the media told the AP that if they had been invited to the ceremony, countries allegedly sent lower-ranking officials rather than ambassadors to argue that the constitution was not being upheld. the international community condemned the putsch. The United States suspended 450 millions of dollars in assistance for its Millennium Challenge Corporation, an independent US agency that provides grants and assistance to countries that meet the standards for good governance. Within the continent, the West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) suspended Burkina Faso, but stopped net of impose penalties. They call for immediate release of former President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré who was under house arrest in the capital, Ouagadougou, since son eviction.
Even more people worried about the conflict with extremists, hope that Damiba can stem the violence. But the 41-year-the former leader has not yet drawn up a plan for how it will secure Burkina Faso better than the previous regime. Some mutineers soldiers is not allowed to talk to media says the junta is willing to work with anyone who can help in their fight against the extremists, which could also include negotiation with groups but only after military the earnings are made.
Recently there have been some successes. Earlier this month more more than 40 extremists have been killed in joint operations with The army of France and Burkina Faso, the French military noted in A declaration. France has several thousand soldiers in West African Sahel region but so far has had minimal involvement in Comparative Burkina Faso with Niger or Mali.
